


Underestimated

by StarlightNinjaThief



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightNinjaThief/pseuds/StarlightNinjaThief
Summary: everyone underestimated just how much of a sponge the young teen was....
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, William Clayton & Roy Harper
Kudos: 25





	Underestimated

Crisis was over and Oliver was home for good. William moved into the cabin and loved his new room. It was a mix of technology and baseball. He still thoroughly enjoyed curling at Oliver’s side and watching games even at 14. He already had ideas for future schooling and business and talked long hours with Felicity on it.

_Everything seemed normal until two months later._

It started with a red t-shirt, one the kid already had.

Then he pilfered two of Felicity’s red pens - she noticed but figured it was for schoolwork.

In the lab he was overly interested in Felicity’s spinal chip and how it worked. And especially Roy’s cybernetics arm. They thought it was for science....

The most obvious clue should’ve been the red sweatshirt with white hem. Thinking it was his Flash obsession, Oliver facetimed Central City but William just walked off with an eyeroll.

“He gave me the same treatment in Witness Protection,” Felicity assured her husband. “It’s a teenager thing.”

That hoodie was the most obvious, but the tipping point came in the bunker. The team was on patrol, the baby asleep in the bassinet. Danger was gone but they went out just in case.

Just the usual drug thugs. The speakers whined and crackled with feedback from the police radios. William bolted up from his doze over homework.

“Mama!” Wide eyes searched for Felicity.

“Will, I’m right here. It was just -” she grabbed her son’s shoulders but he turned to the snowed screens.

“Where’s D-dad and R-r-roy?”

“They’ll be back soon. They’re downtown, remember?”

“I need - uh - need -” the kid’s breathing sped into a panic.

The boys eventually returned and William latched on hard to Oliver, gasping into his shoulder. But his eyes stayed locked on Roy’s.

Oliver and Felicity talked long and hard before they finally sat their son down weeks later with Roy joining.

“Look Buddy, we know this has been a tough year,” Oliver began.

“Understatement,” Felicity mumbled.

Her husband shot a look and continued. “But we’ve noticed changes and wanted to touch base with you.”

“Oh, Dad, not the talk again!” the teen screeched.

Now Oliver blushed. “No, Will, not that. We just realized you changed your look.”

“You don’t like it?” he asked shyly, looking away.

“No you look great! In fact it’s just like Roy...” Felicity looked to her friend.

The young man in question cleared his throat. “I just want you to have your own style, Queen Jr.”

“I like _this_.” William defensively pulled the hoodie tighter.

“That’s totally fine, Honey,” Felicity rubbed his arm lovingly.

“William, do you have a crush on Roy?” Oliver asked outright.

The boy’s head shot up, eyes wide as saucers. “God no, he’s my uncle!”

Everyone chuckled.

“Sorry.”

“None taken, dude.”

“So what’s this about?” Oliver spoke carefully but openly.

“I-I just don’t w-wanna lose you too!” he rushed out.

The adults gasped. Both parents leaned in to hug William immediately. When they pulled back, the hero turned to his protegé. “Roy, I think you can take this from here.”

Both Oliver and Felicity hugged William again before moving to the kitchen.

“Kiddo, when my a-arm happened, your adult-self was there...”

The boy looked up shocked. “Really?” he whispered.

“Yeah. I was in so, so much p-pain but Adult You burst into that tent and -” Roy moved closer. “I recognized _you_.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. Digg said in the future you came to find me for help but I didn’t get it much. I do know that as I was laying there dying, I took comfort you were there. Your dad later said it took awhile for the others to believe Adult You was his son but somehow I did without being in the right mind.”

The younger hero breathed shakily, not used to talking about that horrible day.

William then grabbed his good hand.  “Maybe that’s why I clung to you now. I wanted to make sure you were ok, just-just like the Island.”

“M-maybe. We are alot alike, you and I.”

“Aunt Thea always says so.”

“Thank you, kid. I know it’s not the same at this age-”

William cut Roy off by jumping over to hug him. “I love you, Uncle Roy!”

“You too, little man.” After a minute Roy smirked. “I do like the jacket though.”

The pair could hear Oliver and Felicity laugh in the kitchen.

The End


End file.
